


Don't be too confident honey, the game has just begun

by Dikasriel



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst, Awkward Flirting, Enemies to Lovers, Everyone Is Gay, Gambling, Gay, M/M, Mention of alcohol, Sexual Tension, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, and tags bc i suck at this, chanyeol is sehun's emotional support, gambler kyungsoo, gambler sehun, jongin is a gambler and member of government, kaisoo bffs, mafia, sechan bffs, singer kyungsoo, trans sehun, will probably add more characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:27:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27304135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dikasriel/pseuds/Dikasriel
Summary: Jongin's name isn't unknown; he is well-known in all the country, as one of the best gamblers, and also the secretary of the Minister of Economy. He never lost a single game of poker; but that was before Sehun arrives and ruins everything, on this beautiful night of autumn.
Relationships: Do Kyungsoo | D.O & Kim Jongin | Kai, Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Park Chanyeol, Kim Jongin | Kai/Oh Sehun, Oh Sehun & Park Chanyeol
Comments: 5
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sehochan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sehochan/gifts).



> hii everyone!!  
> here is the first chapter of my sekai fic! i hope y'all will enjoy it <33  
> i don't have much to say except i really like writing this so i hope you will enjoy the reading as much as i enjoy the writing skdjsk  
> i also dedicate this fanfic to my best friend filo (@junsechan on twitter) because they're always here for me and always support me, and i can't thank her enough for that <33 even dedicating a fanfic isn't enough but anyway  
> enjoy!! :]

Honestly, who didn’t know about Kim Jongin?

He was, for sure, well known in the gambling world. Through the years, he made his name quite known, and also, almost untouchable. But not only here; his name wasn’t unfamiliar to the whole country, who saw him as a god, not only in gambling, but also in business.

Kim Jongin was a gambler. A very good one. He touched at almost every game, but his favorite was poker. Why? Because as soon as he began playing, he never lost. Not a single game. And with that asset, he made a lot of money easily, as well as other gamblers beginning to fear him and not wanting to play with him anymore. Because they knew what would happen; after playing games with him, they kept losing money, falling under the debts they owned him. And he wasn’t the nice type. He would get that money, whatever it cost him.

On top of being a gambler, he also worked for the government. He could be the Minister of Economy, but he wasn’t; he was just working for him, as his secretary, giving him advice, and, if we should be honest, it was more him who was taking care of the economy than the actual minister. People thought he might be the next new one: it was only rumors, but it could definitely happen. Honestly, they were wondering why he still wasn’t; because he was following the actual one everywhere, even at the Parliament, and was speaking for him.

He wouldn’t mind becoming the new Minister. This would just give him more power.

Of course he already had some. No, not only some, a huge amount. Which was surprising for a korean man in France, straight up coming from Seoul just a few years ago. They were usually despised, mocked, and they weren’t even the half of what he is now. But hey, a korean man in a white dominated country being successful is a good thing, right?

Successful was maybe too small to really describe what he really was. The government at his feet, begging him to take care of the economy of this almost falling country that was France; the mafia at his feet too, as he was directing a huge part of it, since he needed them for his “business”; the gamblers at his feet as well, because they owned him so much money, thanks to his playing gift; and finally, the citizens, who saw him as someone who was almost not human, since he had so much importance in so many ways that was beyond them, mere mortals.

As said earlier, he owned a part of the mafia. Not too much, though; but just enough to have some men ready to take care of the people who didn’t give him their money in time. He would usually set up a date, far enough from the day they played, so his adversary would have enough time to gather the money. He thought he was nice enough. So if they would dare to take more time, he wouldn’t be lenient. Still, he would just threaten them. Once again, he thought he was nice enough. But a week after, if he still didn’t get what he got, he would put his threats into action. But he wasn’t going to have blood on his hands. He was too important for that. That’s why he needed the mafia; the few men he had could kill the person who was bothering him quite easily, and get rid of them easily as well. That’s why for him, killing isn’t that much of a bother: because he isn’t the one doing it.

He owned a gigantic mansion near Paris. Rumors, again, said he was thinking about buying Versailles,  _ the _ castle of the late king Louis XIV. It was impossible, of course, since it was a national treasure and reserved to the public, but the idea didn’t sound that stupid to Jongin. Maybe he could change that later. But for now, he was satisfied with his current house.

It was a mansion that suited well the architecture of Paris; just like the appartements Haussmanniens, it was done with dressed stones, in a stunning white, in which some decorations were carved in. The windows were huge and made with expensive materials, but still, looked like the ones you could find in a lot of streets in the capital. The only thing that changed was that, well, it wasn’t in the middle of Paris, and it didn’t become smaller and smaller as he was going up the stairs, since the whole building was made for him. The rooms were spacious, with mouldings on the ceilings and a shining parquet, as well as furniture that was most probably gold-plated, but still looked wonderful. To be honest, it didn’t look like only a mansion; it looked like a palace. Most of the time, that’s where he was holding his poker games, just to intimidate his enemies.

This is where he met the one that was going to ruin his reputation, and also his life: Oh Sehun.

On this beautiful night of autumn, he organized a party at his mansion, which was obviously full of alcohol and gambling games. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a party at the Jongin’s mansion. There were the ones he knew and always came, like his friend, Doh Kyungsoo. To be honest, he would even say his best friend.

They moved to France together, and he was here with him since he started in politics to begin with. They were totally different, regarding their future careers: Kyungsoo was a singer, a pretty famous one. He was more the type to sing ballads, and what charmed his listeners, was the fact he mixed korean and french together. It sounded wonderful, and he had quite a lot of fans. He never expected that when he first came to France. Jongin, on the other hand, always wanted to become a politician. He always has been fascinated by politics, and he honestly couldn’t tell why he chose France. But he was glad he did. He considered becoming a singer too, for a while, maybe being a duo with his best friend; but he knew this wouldn’t have been enough for him.

Once you tasted power, you could never get enough of it.

That’s the reason why he became a gambler. It’s not like most people would think; he didn’t first become a gambler, then a politician. It was the other way around. He started as a mere agent at the city council, and now, he had one of the most important places in the french government. He started gambling when he was still working at the city council: one night, he was invited to a party of one of his colleagues, and that’s where he discovered poker. Even at his first game, he didn’t lose.

Poker was great, sure. But he wanted to try other games too! So, with Kyungsoo, they went to a casino. And discovered the joys of gambling. The roulette, the blackjack, even only the machines with which you had no idea if you were going to lose all your money or win a thousand. This was way more fun that they expected. And that’s where they started to make their name.

Because with time, Kyungsoo became a gambler too. He was pretty good, but not like Jongin; he didn’t have any great strategy, he just played for fun. So, sure, he already lost. But he won more in his life, and that was enough for him. Jongin was ok with that: as long as his best friend stayed by his side, he didn’t see why he should say anything about his way of playing. Not everyone could enjoy it like him.

And Kyungsoo wasn’t addicted to power like he was. He was just playing for fun; his best friend was playing for the money he could get of it, and the impact it could have on others. He wanted to be respected, to be feared. The other wanted to be appreciated, and loved. Once you knew that, you wouldn’t understand how they were still friends. It’s probably gambling that makes them stay together.

On the other hand, there was this man, with dark hair and a straight face, who he has never seen before, who came to his party. He was with another man, probably a bit older than him but not that much, who had white hair, and a big smile on his face. Only like that, they seemed a lot different too.

Jongin was on one of his red couches, drinking a glass of whiskey, talking with Kyungsoo, when this man came towards him, with a determined look on his face. And that he said straight-up to him:

“Kim Jongin, I’d like to play a game of poker against you. Just the two of us. Nobody else.”

He almost choked on his whiskey. Did he have any idea who he was? Because it didn’t seem like it. Everybody around him was looking at him with a surprised look: no one would dare to defy Jongin to poker, they  _ knew _ they would lose! Only beginners could be sure they would beat him, and at the end of the night, they were just going back to their house, disappointed, and without any money left.

“A beginner, hm?”

“That’s right, I’m one. Everybody keeps telling you never lost. I want to see if I could change that.”

“Oh, dear, every beginner says that to me. And at the end, they’re just crying, because they became penniless!”

“Stop being that confident. You never know what could happen.”

Jongin suddenly got up, and put his glass on the table. This kid -- yes, he would call him that, he was nothing else but a kid in the gambling world -- was getting on his nerves, and he was dying to show him who was the person in charge here. He would have to admit that the thing that made him upset the most was the fact he didn’t even shiver when he got up. His aura did nothing to him.  _ Nothing _ . And he wouldn’t tolerate feeling powerless in his own house. Because that wasn’t who he was.

He had to prove to himself, to this kid, and to the others, he wasn’t just any regular gambler. He was one of the best, and nothing could change that.

“I’m Sehun, by the way. Where are we going to play?”

“Here. On this table,” he answered, showing the huge table that was standing a few meters away from them. Cards were already here, waiting to be used for a game. The beginner just nodded and sat at his place, while his friend came to sit next to him. He didn’t say anything since they were here, he just kept smiling, and bouncing like a child. Almost like he was excited. And that made both Jongin and Kyungsoo sigh.

Kyungsoo sat in front of him, while Jongin was sitting next to him, ready to deliver the cards.

“Would you like to play poker too, while our friends are playing…?” He asked politely, waiting for him to give his name.

“My name’s Chanyeol. But no, thanks! I don’t get anything from this game. I just wanna support my best friend! He said he wanted to get into it, and I don’t see why not, he’s a good player from what I saw! I don’t get why we came here, though. He said like, he wanted to “defy the best gambler of France”, so I guess it’s your friend here. Gambling seems fun, but that’s not for me, sorry!”

“Ah, I see. Would you like to chat then, maybe?”

“Why not! I love to make new friends! Especially if they’re Sehun’s friends!”

“We’re not friends,” he said coldly. That’s when Chanyeol lost his smile for the first time of the evening.

“Oh. I didn’t get what he told me the right way, then. But hum, it’s okay, right? We can still talk?”

“Of course.”

On the other hand, Sehun and Jongin already had their cards in hand, ready to play.

This was going to be a long night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hii everyone!!  
> here i am with the second chapter of my fanfic! i'm doing my best to write it skjd, that's why it took me a week to update... i think i'll try to update every week or so, tho. i have a lot of work too with school, so i just have to organize myself correctly :]  
> hope you will enjoy this chapter!!

Jongin and Sehun stared at each other for a good minute before anything started. The five cards in front of them were still facing down, Sehun already gave the chips he was asked to give, and so did Jongin. They both have two cards in hand. Since they were only two to play, it was the younger one’s turn to play, or maybe bet, or still, he could give up. But they were just staring, like they were fighting each other with only their glare.

Kyungsoo raised his eyebrow. He was wondering with the adversary of his friend didn’t do anything; usually, newcomers kept betting, until they had five cards, and play their hand with a smile, totally sure they were winning, and then, Jongin showed his hand, and they would go outside, crying because they lost all their money.

Honestly, when he thought about it, he didn’t understand how he did to always have the right desk, always more powerful than the one his adversaries had, and he kept winning more and more every week.

But his attention quickly got back on Chanyeol. They were the only two ones to not really care about the game: everybody else was gathered around them, waiting impatiently for what Sehun was going to do. It’s almost like he knew he was the center of attention, and wanted to keep it on him as long as possible. But he wasn’t that type of person.

He was just trying to unsettle Jongin. By staring at him this intensely, he would start to question his actual hand, how much he’d bet, all the confidence he had in him. He would start to be unsure of himself, while he would take the advantage. But the secretary was used to this kind of playing, and he wasn’t unsettled one bit; he was just patiently waiting for him to do something, while he was thinking about what he was going to do depending on the choices of the person in front of him. He would never think about the possibility of him giving up: the beginners never chose this option, when they should have. More the time passed, the more he wondered how he would destroy him.

The thing he would do if Sehun bet, was to do the same; except he wouldn’t bet the same amount, he would actually bet all the chips he had. Because he knew that in any case, he would win.

And that’s where he was wrong.

It was almost like Sehun knew he was going to do that; maybe by instinct, because he already thought to himself he was quite conceited, or maybe because he knew, thanks to one of his friends, that it was always what he did when he played. He said he was going to bet: and he moved to the front the same amount of chips he had to give at the beginning of the game, keeping a good amount for him at the moment. Then Jongin moved all the chips he had in his possession to the front; and Sehun smirked, quite quickly because nobody noticed it, and focused on the game again.

Jongin did irrational moves. He never thought before doing them. While he was waiting for Sehun to play, he was persuading himself he was doing so: but it wasn’t the case, because he  _ already knew _ what he was going to do in any case. It’s almost like he was scripting the games, with only one end: him winning. He shouldn’t do that, he should never do that: because the day he finally loses, he would just embarrass himself in front of hundreds of people, and his reputation could take a hit.

Sehun didn’t think he would automatically win. He would just think it was a probability, but, by the way Jongin was playing, a huge probability. Day and night, he assisted in a lot of poker games, taking notes on how the players acted and well, played, and afterwards, he would ask them about their thoughts. Most of them were always confident, and most of the time, that’s why they lost. It was always the less confident ones that won the games he showed to.

He never knew why, but actually, he was always fascinated by poker. He liked card games in general, but this one attracted him the most. How people could lose their minds over simple games involving money, it sounded quite interesting to him. How games could influence the mind, the brain, how they could take over it, until it’s the only thing you can think of, and your purpose in life is only one thing: win.

Why did people desire power so bad? What was so good in power? He always wanted to know. Not that he wanted to be powerful himself: he just wanted to understand how people could be obsessed with this idea of being the most powerful in something, or somewhere. And Jongin, Jongin was the most perfect example to try to understand that.

He didn’t become a gambler with the only purpose to defy Jongin one day, and that, if he would win, then, just stop everything. After this game, he would go on with his “career” as a gambler. Because in the end, he found this game quite good and interesting in its own way, and it was way more fun when you played it yourself.

Actually, he would like to be closer to his adversary in the future. He seemed like a fascinating person, interesting to study. But if he lost today, he would maybe never let him go around him anymore. But for now, nobody had won; he had time to think about it later.

Sehun was so interested in how the mind of people worked, that it could have seemed weird that his best friend was Chanyeol. He was a simple man, enjoying music and doing some himself; he was actually studying in a music academy, to maybe be part of an orchestra, or otherwise, become a rock singer. He liked both ideas, and was still wondering about what would come out of these choices. It all depended on how well he was at the academy. If he succeeded, he could be part of an orchestra, playing the violin, which was quite a hard instrument.

So when you thought about it, with Sehun studying psychology, and him trying to be a professional violinist, they were in almost two different worlds. But they just knew each other since they were very young, since primary school, actually. They saw each other grow up, become more mature, become more interested in the subjects their society was facing. Except one of them realized the true issues, and the other one understood them, but just wanted to keep going, living a normal life.

They were both two LGBTQ+ korean boys, who were born in France, and that’s mainly what brought them together when they were younger. When growing up, they wanted to show to the world that despite their origins, they could have a good life, they could be whoever they wanted to be, in this white dominated country. And that’s what still holds them close to that day, in addition to their friendship.

Chanyeol, now, just enjoyed life like it was. He found poker fun, but he never really understood the rules of the game: so he never took time to care about it, and just enjoyed seeing his best friend playing. If Sehun was happy and liked it, then, it was the same for him. He enjoyed going with him to parties to see games of poker, he also enjoyed going to casinos; he was just a normal person, enjoying nice things, without taking it too far.

He never heard of Jongin, actually: he learnt about him thanks to his friend. He didn’t understand what was so interesting about him. He was just another politician, with vices, and that’s all he thought of him. But his friend, Kyungsoo, was surely more interesting than him.

He already knew Kyungsoo, well before he heard of Jongin. He kind of admired him, in fact, as he was a korean man, just like him, and he became a well-known singer in the country, and even internationally. He loved his songs, they were so sweet and relaxing, he liked to listen to them when he had a bad day, when he was tense, or just to fall asleep. He knew how to mix french and korean so well, it was almost like he had some kind of gift, and was just blessing the entire planet with it. Not much of his fans knew what he meant in korean, he thought; but that wasn’t stopping him from enjoying the songs, as he knew both languages -- even if he grew up in France, his family definitely wanted him to know korean as well.

So when he found himself in front of him, he was a bit disturbed, and intimidated. Disturbed, because he would’ve never thought Kyungsoo was into that kind of thing. And him proposing to him to play a game, quickly made the factor “he’s just here for his best friend” run away. He knew how to play, he surely knew the rules, and he didn’t know if he was just like his friend, wanting money and glory. Because if it was so, he didn’t give that vibe one bit; while Jongin definitely did. 

They dressed so differently, it was unsettling: Jongin liked to wear suits, expensive and very nice looking ones, with the name of the brand well noticeable -- usually, it would be some luxury brand that only politicians and the top of the top could afford. Some makeup too, that was probably very expensive, and would make his face prettier than it already was, as well as a nice hairstyle, and a glass of whiskey always in hand; while Kyungsoo was just wearing some turtleneck, with a simple vest and simple trousers. He had a bit of makeup too, but it wasn’t that noticeable; maybe the only thing he really had in common with his friend was his hairstyle, that was just as nice as his.

He was also intimidated by the fact he was in front of a celebrity. He looked even prettier in reality, and, oh well, he had the chance to talk to him. To get to know him. Maybe even befriend him. And that sounded supernatural. His poor gay heart couldn’t take this: Kyungsoo has been an admiration of his for a few years now -- he would even say, it’s thanks to him he got interested into music --, and he finally had the chance to talk to him, while he found him heavily attractive, and just, he was the perfect man.

“Hum…” He finally started a few minutes of silence that followed the first moves of Sehun and Jongin. They haven't said anything since then. “So, what have you been up to, recently?”

“Not much, I must admit,” Kyungsoo replied. He was looking at him with a straight face, and it was hard to tell if he was enjoying the moment or not. “I am trying to write some songs, recently… But nothing much otherwise. I don’t know if I’ll release an album anytime soon.”

“Ah! It’s ok, though! I think you shouldn’t press yourself! Take your time to do it! It’s better if it’s done with time and love! I think you should enjoy doing it!” He succeeded to get a smile out of that encouragement.

“Oh, well, you’re right. If you’re saying that, I guess you enjoy listening to my music.”

“Y-Yes, actually, I’m a big fan of yours.” He gulped. “I’m in a music academy at the moment. I made it to the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris! I’m in my third year, and I think I’m doing quite well! I wanna become a violinist in an orchestra.”

“Oh, really? That’s interesting! I would’ve never thought you would be into that kind of thing, to be honest. Probably music, but not classic. That’s so amazing! Do you think you could show me what you’re capable of at the violin, anytime soon? I love this instrument. And, oh well, maybe you could play for a few of my songs! I’m sure it’d sound amazing, if you show me what you got.”

Chanyeol gulped again. Kyungsoo wanted to listen to what he was capable of on the violin? And he wanted to maybe ask him to play for a few of his songs? This sounded like a dream, a very good one, and he wouldn’t want to wake up.

“Really? You really want to listen to me?” He had a hard time believing this.

“Yes, of course I want to! Why so? You don’t want me to hear?”

“Yes, yes, of course I want to! I would love to! I just… Don’t know if I’m good enough.”

“Don’t be so harsh on yourself. I’m sure you’re an excellent violinist. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be in your third year right now. Oh, this is so exciting!”

Kyungsoo was actually smiling, and even clapped his hands. He was so happy with the situation: he found someone who played violin, one of his favorite instruments! Oh, he couldn’t wait to see what he was capable of. On top of that, this violinist was really good-looking to his eyes; and he actually wanted to get to know him better.

But maybe the chat ended at the right time. Because right after Kyungsoo expressed his joy, Jongin expressed his anger; he slammed his fists on the table, before pushing all the cards and the chips at the end of it, making them fall. The only things left were Sehun’s hand, and his.

He played a straight flush. While he played a full house.

“This can’t be happening,” Jongin suddenly yelled. “He cheated! He obviously cheated! He’s a beginner! He can’t… No… He can’t!”

He crushed the glass he had between his hands with only the power of one hand, and felt that his hand started bleeding. After that, everything stopped.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hii everyone !! here's the 3rd chapter of this fanfic!   
> i hope y'all will enjoy it!! <3

When Jongin finally woke up, he was in a place he would’ve preferred to avoid.

He was in a hospital bed, on a drip, which apparently led to a blood one. It was in him, in his body, the blood was going into his veins through his left arm. He noticed that his hand, the right one, was bandaged, and he had something around his waist too. He probably hurt himself in this area too, he thought.

He hated hospitals. He couldn’t really explain why, actually: he just hated them with his whole soul. He always felt uneasy here, unable to do what he really wanted. He had no power here; on the contrary, he was powerless, he was at the nurses and doctors’ mercy. The few times he went there, they knew who he was, of course. But that didn’t make them afraid, or anything of the sort; they just treated him like he was another random patient. But he wasn’t random.

That’s what he hated most about hospitals. And also the fact that almost everyone could come see you, even if you didn’t know them. The hospital didn’t really pay any attention to who was visiting you, and more than once, he had strangers coming in his room, and he had to call the nurses in an emergency to tell them to make the person go away. He felt so embarrassed after moments like that.

And at the same moment he thought about this, he saw someone by the side of his bed. “Oh no, they already know I’m here,” he thought to himself. Sure, he wasn’t expecting a lot of rest by being a gambler and a member of the government, but he expected to be able to rest  _ at least _ in his hospital room.

He looked up to see who it was. And suddenly, his face froze.

It was him. It was the person who made him go so mad that he bled himself until a dangerous point.

He didn’t seem sorry, nor happy, nor mad, nor anything, actually. It just made Jongin more upset: this man had no fucking expression, he always had a straight face, he never showed his emotions. Was he even human, actually? What was wrong with him? Was he even able to smile, to raise an eyebrow, to open his mouth not only for the purpose of talking, but to let out a sound, or make a shocked face?

Maybe it was because he didn’t know him that much. Yeah, that probably was it. There’s no way someone isn’t able to show his emotions, especially when you’re in the gambling world. It almost takes control of your brain, your movements, and makes you do irrational things, you can’t help but think about it; almost makes you crazy. It’s probably because he hasn't been in that world since a long time.

And yet, if it was the case, he still defeated him. He couldn’t stand him. He didn’t care if he wasn’t able to show emotions, and if he needed to know him more to get to see him at least smile; he didn’t care about that either. He didn’t want to see him in his life ever again, because he ruined it. He didn’t know if there were rumors going around already, but it most probably was the case. And a lot of people now must know he lost for the first time in his life, and on top of that, against a beginner. There’s no way he would want to be affiliated with that man again, no matter in which way.

“Hi. You’re finally awake,” the man next to his bed said. He kept a straight face while Jongin could almost kill him with his look.

“Yes, I am. What time is it for you to say that?”

“Well, when you passed out, it was around midnight. And right now, it is two in the afternoon. So you slept quite long, in my opinion. But doctors will probably say it’s normal. You know they really struggled with you, tonight. First of all they didn’t know where to put you because you were  _ the _ Kim Jongin and so didn't want to treat you badly as you’re very important to this country. They had to put your wounds in stitches because you hurt yourself quite badly with the glass. But when they asked what did you do to end up being wounded that way, they weren’t surprised.”

“Do you think I care about what doctors think about me? Do you think I care about what  _ you _ think about me? Why are you even here, anyway? You had what you wanted. You ruined my reputation, my supremacy. You certainly didn’t ruin me concerning money, I have as much money as I want and it’s not our game that’s gonna make me broke. But my money is as important as my power. And you ruined the second one. I will never,  _ never _ , talk to you ever again. Do you hear me? It’s the only time our names are going to be together in the newspapers.”

“Fine. I kinda guessed you wouldn’t talk to me ever again. How fascinating, how you are obsessed with this “power”. Do you plan to have a higher grade in the government?” Oh, how he wished he had a notebook at this right moment. But that wouldn’t be a bother; he would try to remember every word Jongin would say to him before he would leave the hospital room.

“Why do you care? Why do you ask? You just have to read the newspapers like everybody else. They talk about it in them. On top of that, like I said already, I don’t want to speak to you ever again. Leave my room, and ask for Kyungsoo. He’s the only man I want to talk to.”

Sehun pouted. Oh my god, he pouted? At least, he saw him having an expression before making him disappear from his life forever. But he quickly chased that thought to understand why he did this expression particularly: did that mean he wanted to talk to him more, wanted to get to know him more? What was wrong with this guy? Now, he’d struggle to find his rank in the gambling world again, because of him, and he wanted to get to know him like he was a friend. But they would  _ never _ be friends, and he was going to swear that to himself.

“Fine. But you won’t get rid of me that easily, I warn you. You’re a very interesting person that I’d like to study more. And also, your friend and mine seem to get along very well. I don’t know if you listened to them yesterday, but they planned to see each other again, and for something big.”

“No, I didn’t, I was too much in the game. I also don’t listen to other people’s conversations when it’s not about me. I respect people’s privacy.”

“Yet, you lost, and you’re a member of the government, which is kinda a funny thing to say. Anyway. Like you asked, I’ll go now. And call Kyungsoo.”

He stood up, but before leaving the room, he looked at him once again. He didn’t say anything; he just looked, with his straight face again, at his face, intensely. Jongin almost felt uncomfortable, and looked away; but never down, he would not show him any sign of respect or submission. Finally, he heard a chuckle and the door closing.

What was the point of looking at him like that, almost with passion? He had no idea. It wasn’t a mean look, but more of an admiration one. Like he was studying him, and finding him pretty at the same time.

Sure, he knew he was pretty. Which was honestly quite uncommon for a member of the government: most of the time they were old, and charmless. Another thing that showed that he wasn’t like everybody else. He was almost sure he was liked by a huge number of girls, and even guys, and he didn’t mind that. Sometimes, he’d use his charm with some people. Even in the government itself; of course it was corrupted, and they wouldn’t say no to a handjob by a man as beautiful as Jongin. He was disgusted by the fact of doing it, but well, sometimes, he just had to.

But despite that, he was never really treated as an animal, a subject. However, that’s how he felt when Sehun examined him. And that’s what disturbed him. He wasn’t a mere subject of studying: he was a human, and as a human, he had feelings. Sure, he was powerful, and was superior to others, but he still stayed one. And most of the time, his actions were based on his emotions. And when Sehun looked at him, he felt like a mere laboratory rat.

He had to talk to Kyungsoo as soon as he would come into the room. There’s no way he would keep contact with Chanyeol, or whatever the name of his friend was; there’s no way they would be related to Sehun in any way. If he kept contact with this white haired dude, his enemy could easily find a reason to come and humiliate him again. He wanted to avoid that.

When Sehun left the room, Kyungsoo was waiting on a chair, next to the door. He stood up a bit suddenly, asking the other man if Jongin woke up, and was well. He immediately replied he was, both: with the way he spoke to him, he wasn’t in a good mood, but at least, the loss of blood didn’t weaken him that much. Talking about that, he wanted to see him; he smiled and thanked Sehun, bowing, before going into the room to see his best friend.

He wasn’t welcomed in a friendly way, but following what the black haired man said, he was kind of expecting it. Jongin had his arms crossed, looking through the window, without even paying attention to Kyungsoo. Once he closed the door and sat next to his bed, he sighed.

“You know Kyungsoo, you won’t be able to continue to see this man’s friend.” He said coldly. He was still not looking at him, and his friend let out a chuckle. It wasn’t because he found that funny: but who was he to control who he was talking to, and who he befriended? Sure, they were best friends, and he had a huge influence: but only in the government and the gambling world -- even if it wasn’t that sure anymore --, not towards him. Especially since he didn’t really have any reason, except the fact his friend beat him at some poker game. But he was curious which sort of excuse he was going to find him, when he definitely knew his persuasion skills were working on everybody, except him.

“Oh, yes? And why that, Jongin?” He asked with a chuckle once again.

“Because… I don’t like him. First of all, why would you befriend such an innocent person? He’s an adult, but acts like he’s a teenager. At least, from what I’ve seen. I didn’t listen to your talk yesterday, so I don’t know much. But it’s the impression he gave me. And on top of that, he’s Sehun’s best friend. And I don’t know if you paid attention yesterday, or if you even know why I’m here today, but he defeated me!”

“Yes, thank you Jongin, I know that. You have to stop being like that, being a sore loser. This would’ve happened someday: you can’t stay all your life without losing. Don’t worry, you won’t lose your reputation, if you show this doesn’t affect you and just make you stronger. Also, Chanyeol is very fun to talk to, and I think it’s good to not be always serious. And despite the impressions he gave you, well, he’s going to be a musician quite soon, if he passes his exams! He plays violin, and I think it’d be amazing if he played for me. You know I love violin.” His friend sighed. Once again, his arguments didn’t win. And he had to let his closest friend get close to this man, and eventually Sehun. That he wanted to avoid in any way.

“Fine. Like always, you won’t listen to me. This Sehun just seems very weird to me. When he left, he examined me like I was some laboratory rat. I’m not! I feel like I’m being… A subject to study for him. Well, I mean, he said it clearly that I was. I want to avoid him. I don’t want to be close to him.” Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow. Well, it’s true he found Sehun quite weird, especially that he was very different from Chanyeol; but he didn’t think he would consider Jongin that way. He must admit that sometimes, Jongin was a bit paranoid; after all, being this high ranked didn’t come with some disorders. He wouldn’t be surprised if this was another one of his paranoid episodes.

“Ah, I see. Well, you know, me befriending Chanyeol won’t obligate me to be friends with Sehun. You can be assured, Jongin, everything will go well; and maybe this was the last time you ever saw him in your life.”

“I hope so. This guy kinda freaks me out.” And Jongin wasn’t particularly freaked out by anyone.

“So, what did he say?” Chanyeol asked, while he and Sehun were walking out of the hospital, hands in pockets, trying to protect themselves as much as they could from the cold.

“That he didn’t want to see me ever again. But that’s not going to happen. You’re seeing Kyungsoo again soon, right? I’m going with you. I’ll speak with him.”

“I really don’t get you sometimes, Sehun. You’re a bit weird, both in good and wrong ways. I don’t get why you’re so obsessed with him. Leave him alone if he doesn’t want to talk to you anymore.”

“Oh, I would, if I could. But I need to know more about him. He’s such a fascinating character. He’s the reason why this silly country still exists, he’s the reason why we’re still living here, Chanyeol. This country is at its worst, and he prevents it from falling down. And even by having that much weight on his shoulders, he still finds time to play. And not only a regular player: it gets on his nerves, to the point of hurting himself and going to the hospital. This man is obsessed with power. And we don’t know where this is going to lead us. And I need to prevent any wrong action.”

“Do you think you’re some superhero or something? Wow, for once, I really don’t get you, Sehun. But whatever you think is good. I’ll support you, like always, and on the other hand, I’ll keep talking to Kyungsoo. Not like I was planning to stop, but, yeah.”

“Good. That’s what I needed to hear.” He smiled and hit his back nicely. Chanyeol laughed, and so did he; it just seemed like his important speech from a few minutes ago, implying the country could fall any day soon, never happened, and they were just two best friends, enjoying life and telling each other some jokes as they walked down to go back to their apartments.

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> i hope y'all enjoyed this!! don't hesitate to tell me what you think in the comments!!  
> if you did, maybe consider offering me a kofi? :] https://ko-fi.com/dikasriel


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